Cooks & Cocinas: Karen Cannon

Published 12:02 am, Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Karen Cannon loves the views from her kitchen in her Garden Ridge home that was built by her parents.

Karen Cannon loves the views from her kitchen in her Garden Ridge home that was built by her parents.

Photo: BILLY CALZADA, SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS

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Karen Cannon's kitchen in her Garden Ridge home has a view of hte backyard swimming pool.

Karen Cannon's kitchen in her Garden Ridge home has a view of hte backyard swimming pool.

Photo: BILLY CALZADA, SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS

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The Ethan Allen kitchen table in the home of Karen Cannon is over 40 years old.

The Ethan Allen kitchen table in the home of Karen Cannon is over 40 years old.

Photo: BILLY CALZADA, SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS

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Karen Cannon, the "Microwave Queen."

Karen Cannon, the "Microwave Queen."

Photo: BILLY CALZADA, SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS

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A candle in Karen Cannon's kitchen.

A candle in Karen Cannon's kitchen.

Photo: BILLY CALZADA, SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS

Cooks & Cocinas: Karen Cannon

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Change rippled through the kitchen, starting with wallpaper, washing over floors and then counters until the homeowner had a new look in a most familiar space.

Who's cooking: Karen Cannon, who works in the human resources department at USAA. Her husband, Brian, teaches golf at Randolph AFB.

What's cooking: On weekends, Karen likes to grill chicken or fish and vegetables. When she entertains, she likes making hors d'oeuvres. “And I make a mean pot of spaghetti,” she says.

An embroidered kitchen towel hanging on the oven handle proclaims Karen the “microwave queen,” a joke because, with a full-time job, she relies on quick meals during the week.

In this kitchen: The yearlong renovation wrapped up about four years ago. The Cannons bought their house in Garden Ridge 15 years ago from Karen's parents, who built it in 1978.

The space: About 18 by 21 feet, including the eating area.

On the surfaces: Karen initially changed the pastel wallpaper her parents had chosen, going with a darker pattern more fitting of her contemporary Southwest style. Then she swapped white vinyl flooring for tile that complements Saltillo in the adjoining family room. Next came new counters, with Azul Carmel granite replacing laminate.

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She didn't change a white-brick wall and the wood cabinets, but she did remove the popcorn texture on the ceiling and replace a drop-down fluorescent light fixture with recessed cans.

Why it works: While Karen appreciates the efficiency of her kitchen, she adores the views of the swimming pool and the wooded yard beyond it. Wide windows, left uncovered, look out on the inviting scene.

Two ovens, one on the stove in the island and one in the wall, are especially convenient when Karen's extended family — usually about 20 people — gathers at her house for New Year's. They take turns cooking in the kitchen they've known for decades.

When she and four of her girlfriends gathered to bake cookies last Christmas, they had ample room to work.

Working space: Karen's mother dubbed the kitchen desk the “command post,” and the name has stuck.

Around the corner from the desk, the butler's pantry provides space for serving pieces and holiday dishes.

Family ties: Karen's parents designed the kitchen around the long farmhouse-style table that's surrounded by windows.

Al fresco dining: “If it's less than 90 degrees and above 70, we eat outside” on the covered patio just outside the kitchen, Karen says.